Real Bride Gabrielle in Avery by Floure Studio at her Wedding in Mallorca
Tell us your love story! How did you meet and how did you get to a proposal?
We met at the University of Miami during my freshman year. My RA (now really good friend and the one who ended up marrying us) was/is best friends with my now husband, Steven, who was also an RA in the same building. She kept telling me that she thought we would be cute together (perhaps it was because I'm originally from Kentucky and he is originally from Indiana). Initially I wasn't interested because I was focused on school but he would always pop by to say hi and would bug me in the lobby. We finally ended up exchanging numbers and I guess I really liked him because from there the rest is history :) We dated for 6 years before he popped the question, though we've never really been in a huge rush. I ended up going to UM for law school and after taking the bar in 2024, we took a trip to Europe where he ended up proposing in Cassis, France overlooking this amazing view.
When you started planning your wedding what did you envision? How close did the actual wedding get to that vision?
Before becoming an attorney, I actually was a graphic designer/art director. Funny enough a year before I was engaged, I had already created a mood board and color scheme to help set the tone. From the beginning we knew we wanted to do a destination wedding and for the wedding to feel more like a relaxed giant family vacation. I wanted to have fun with some of the details, breaking away slightly from a traditional bride (for example, my green welcome party dress). While I knew we would need an amazing wedding planner to help bring the vision to life, I knew I wanted to be hands on and help craft it. I can't rave enough about our wedding planner, Chiara Ferrari. Again, we were not in a rush to get married because we knew good things take time so the wedding didn't happen until 2 years later in 2026. Over the whole time, we would meet with Chiara a few times a month brainstorming ideas and discuss potential vendors.
In the end, the wedding (as well as wedding week) was 10000000% spot on as envisioned. My husband and I booked a giant airbnb for us and 8 of our friends/family. Most of the guests (there were 75 guests in total) arrived in Mallorca a few days before as well and stayed near us/in the surrounding towns. There were a good amount of people who had actually never been to Europe and/or Spain so we were very excited for people to make new memories and try new things. The whole week was filled with trips to various cala's, a boating day, family and friend dinners, impromptu run-ins, etc. Spending time with everyone throughout the week and getting to explore the Island together was truly so much fun. By the time the welcome party rolled around, everyone had for the most part already met each other, which created a relaxed vibe. The welcome party and the wedding day couldn't have been better. Even for the wedding dinner, we wanted it to be one long table with us sitting in the middle to further the feeling of an elevated, yet intimate family dinner.
What were a few things that were important to you as a couple to include (or not include) in the wedding?
With my parents being divorced and both equally playing such a big part in my life, it was important that they both walk me down the aisle. Steven ended up following suit, as both his parents walked down the aisle with him as well. We wanted to do private vows at the cala close to the venue and then get in the ocean for a quick dip the morning of the wedding. Having lived in Miami for the past 10 plus years, we both love the ocean and wanted to have that grounding moment for just us. We didn't want to be rushed throughout the day (we casually ate breakfast with some of the guests staying on-site after our vows). While we had asked a few family/friends to be bridesmaids/groomsmen, we didn't want anyone else standing up there with us (other than our friend who was officiating) during the ceremony to allow them to relax and enjoy themselves. For me, I am all about the details (for example, I had learned how to cross-stitch and created vow books with our initials in our wedding colors, as well as created the wedding website, save the dates, invitations, menus, door-hangers, other signage, etc.).
How did you decide on the location?
After Steven proposed, we headed to Mallorca for a week to meet up with friends and fell in love with the Island. From there we worked with Chiara to find a venue that had an ocean view with greenery and a good reputation for food. Steven is a big foodie and was super excited about planning out the wedding day cuisine with the chef. We looked at Sa Pedrissa's social media and fell in love.
Let's talk dress! Give us all the deets!
I found Floure Studio through social media and knew I wanted to try on their dresses. I knew I wanted a fun texture or fabric for my wedding dress. As luck had it, you all were doing a trunk show the following weekend with Floure Studio's new collection. Kati helped me and was amazing, making me feel super comfortable throughout the whole process. In the end, I was between the Avery dress, Saint dress, and Bébé dress. I had asked Kati to take some photos and videos so I could think about which one really felt more like me. I ended up coming back for a second dress appointment a few days later and tried them on again. Ultimately, I fell in love with the Avery dress because of the dramatic basque waist, breathtaking pleating details throughout, and overall movement of the dress. It felt like a fresh modern take on a Victorian dress which I loved (huge fan of Little Women and The Paradise). I had moved across the US from Miami to Seattle a few months after purchasing the gown. Kati reassured me that this wouldn't be an issue and I was able to get the dress shipped to me around 6 months later. I took it to a local seamstress here in Seattle and all that was needed was minor heming.
How did your family, friends, etc play into your wedding planning and wedding day?
Our family and friends were incorporated throughout the wedding day in meaningful ways. Our friend Juliana, who introduced us and planted the relationship seed in our heads, officiated the wedding ceremony. We made sure to find ways to honor those who couldn't be there with us (for example, we had a saxophonist in memory of my Zadye). My dad, my maid of honor, and Steven's best man all gave the most thoughtful speeches resulting in lots of tears and laughs.
What's one specific memory you have from your wedding day that you don't think you'll ever forget.
I would say going to the cala in the morning to read our private vows and for a quick dip in the ocean. It was the best way to start such an important day. The weather was absolutely beautiful. There were barely any people there which was so nice to have the cala to ourselves. Being able to sneak away to go "touch some grass" (aka get in the ocean) helped ground me in such a profound way and really helped set the tone for the whole day. Overall, I was just grateful that all these amazing people had traveled far and wide to come celebrate with us.
How did you decide on your hair and makeup look?
Even though I am a detail snob, I have to admit I did not put too much thought into my hair and makeup. Normally, I never wear makeup so I knew I wanted to do something on the more natural side. For my hair, I was back and forth between half up half down or all up. We ended up doing my hair and makeup trial the day of the welcome party. I went in with three inspiration pictures for my hair and ended up trying an updo for the welcome party to see if I liked it. While I did love the look of the updo, I have a lot of hair and decided to do a half up half down style because it felt more me and didn't hurt lol.
Was there one vendor you used that you wish everyone knew about?
Ugh it is so hard to pick only one vendor. I truly loved working with everyone and it was such an amazing team. As previously mentioned, I cannot stress enough how much I loved working (and befriending) Chiara (and Sarah) from Azzurro Weddings / The Yes Maker. They are worth every penny and more. Chiara is the kindest soul and most hardworking wedding planner. I'd also like to shout out Tobi (and Ruen) from Tobifilms (videographer) and Massimo from Massimo Greco Photograph (photographer). As a creative myself, I was sooooo excited to work with them and see them bring the vision to life. We had an absolute blast with them.
Where did you go on your honeymoon and what was the best part?
We went to Copenhagen for a week for our mini-moon. The best part was all the delicious food and funky Danish design/interior design (big fan of mid-century modern).
Wedding Planner: @azzurro__studio & @theyesmaker
Photography: @massimogrecophotography
Videography: @tobifilms
Venue: @sapedrissa
Music: @panela.productions
Sax: @willsax.mallorca
Florist: @fioriditestaflowerdesigner
Food: @sapedrissa & @espirestaurant
Bride Attire: @flourestudio @chicparisien
Hair and Makeup: @eliamartineweddings